Well, it seems pretty obvious, but I figured I’d ask. My garbage disposal suddenly started leaking water out the bottom, even it it’s not running. There are small holes in the bottom, not sure why they’re there, but that’s where the water is comeing from. I assume that it’s toes up, but maybe someone will tell me it just needs a new gasket or washer somewhere.
You’re going to have to take the unit off even if you can find a new gasket.
At that point it’s good to ask yourself whether you spent enough money on the old unit that it’s likely to last another ten years. Or are you just going to be under the sink again in two years putting in a new $57 insinkerator?
Good point, it’s 14 years old.
10 years, and you have to take it off anyway? I’d buy another mid-range one, and install it. It’s an easy job.
My first apartment needed a new one. I cut a deal with my slumlord friend to let me do it, he just paid for the part. It took me about 30 minutes, and I had ZERO home improvement skills at that point. (ok, not quite zero, but close enough, compared to the improved skills I have today.)
To semi-hijack - what’s a really good garbage disposal? Is it just horsepower or what? My current one can’t handle potato or carrot peels, and I really want a better one.
I found the Insinkerator Compact on sale at Home Depot once and grabbed it. I swear I can’t tell it’s running without dropping something into it.
And nothing I have dropped into it has even slowed it down.
I don’t know but a look at Home Depot’s web site shows prices starting at $80 going up to $319.
My recommendation would be to watch a YouTube video of how to remove the old disposal. I spent a good 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get one off once, banging on it, prying it, etc. I then went a found a good DIY video online, and once you know the trick to get it off, it popped off with just a screw driver and very little effort. Just trying to save you some scratched up knuckles. 
Another vote for ‘do-it-yourself’. I don’t know why anyone thinks this should take more than 10 minutes at most. It does not require anything other than a screwdriver and pliers to squeeze the hose clamp
You usually have to install a plug on the unit (they will sell them next to the disposals at Home Depot). For reasons that escape me, they don’t come as plug-in models unless you are buying one that is very expensive. Installing that will take less than five minutes. All sinks have the same size hole so all you need to know is whether you want the same horsepower motor. I would assume the gasket, all mounting hardware, and hoses are probably still intact even if 14 years old, but if water is leaking from them as well, they may need to be replaced also. I had the exact same problem you are describing occur on my 12 year old disposal, and it was just the disposal that was leaking. Easy way to check is replace just the disposal and see if the leak continues. You’ll need to replace the disposal anyway, so plan for a worst case of two trips to Home Depot
The replacement is simple:
- stick bucket or wide pan underneath to catch residual water
- remove hose clamp and fastener attached to pipe
- twist old disposal off counter clockwise and throw away
- put new disposal on and turn clockwise
- reattach hose and pipe fastener
Then turn it on and check for leaks. If leaks occur, then replace the parts that are leaking. Simple enough.
I do not know of any home disposal that handles thin peels. They will slip past the head and go down the drain whole and depending on the amount plug your drain quick.
I do not know if the make geared desposals for the home. The kind where everything goes through two gears that cut and grind the waste.
One thing not to forget when putting in a new desposal if you have a dishwasher, remove the plastic plug from the dishwasher hose connection. It is easy to over look.
Thanks everyone for your help. I bought this disposal today and the installation was a snap. The cautions here about the punchout for the dishwasher inlet and about how to remove the old disposal were covered in the installation instructions. Taking the old one out, and putting the new one in including the wiring took less than a half hour. Piece of cake.
Except.
It’s a little bigger than the one I replaced and the drain pipes don’t quite line up. I tried a couple of things to realign them but it looks like I’m going to have to rebuild the drain pipes starting from the sink through the trap to get everything to fit together. There is a tee fitting from the drain down from the sink but it’s too high for the disposal outlet. So I am going to have to rebuild it to make the trap lower, allowing the tee to be lower. I need a couple of inches.
This is also fairly easy. You may just need a tail extension, which has a slipjoint, or perhaps a new and longer tail. Take the current tail to the hardware store so you get the right diameter. There is a special T used sometimes for disposal waste; it has a deflector inside that directs the disposal waste downward so it’s less likely to shoot up into a second sink (assuming that’s your setup–i.e. one sink has the disposer and the second sink has its own drain).
Reported, for spam and stupidity.
